Spring 2014 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results · Web viewSpring 2014 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results September 2014Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Spring 2014 MCAS Tests:Summary of State ResultsSeptember 2014

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370www.doe.mass.edu

http://www.doe.mass.edu/

This document was prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.Commissioner

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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906

Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370http://www.doe.mass.edu/

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary........................................................................................1I. 2014 MCAS at a Glance............................................................................7II. Summary of the 2014 Statewide MCAS Results....................................13III. 2014 Statewide MCAS Participation Results.........................................24

Executive Summary

The seventeenth administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests took place in spring 2014.

Participation

A total of 541,643 Massachusetts public school students in grades 3–10 participated in a total of 17 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering (STE).1 Participation rates remained very high, ranging from 98 to 100 percent across the grades and subjects tested.

In 2014, 8,892 students with disabilities participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) by submitting portfolios documenting their academic achievement in one or more subjects in grades 3–12.

Overall Achievement

Student achievement statewide improved nominally on six of the 17 MCAS tests administered in 2014. Between 2013 and 2014, the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher2 improved in ELA at grades 4, 6, and 8; in Mathematics at grade 3; and in STE at grades 5 and 8. The only annual changes greater than two percentage points were in grade 8 Mathematics, where results fell three points after rising three points the year before, and grade 8 STE, where results rose by three points after falling four points the year before.

Long-term Trends in Achievement

Because measures of student achievement often change incrementally over short periods of time, the Department is presenting a series of eight-year views in this report in order to reveal achievement trends that have occurred over multiple years. Over the eight-year period of MCAS assessments from 2007 to 2014, an increase of five or more percentage points indicates improvement that has been sustained, while a decrease of five or more percentage points indicates that a potentially meaningful decline has occurred. The grades and subject areas in which the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher changed by five or more points over the last eight years are shown in Figure E-1. 3

1 The four subject-specific high school Science and Technology/Engineering tests given in grades 9 and 10— Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, and Technology/Engineering—are counted here as one operational test.2 In this report, Proficient or higher refers to the cumulative percentage of students scoring at the Proficient and Advanced levels.3 Prior to 2013, the Department calculated the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher by adding the rounded percent Proficient to the rounded percent Advanced. Since that time, the percent Proficient or higher has been calculated by dividing the number of students scoring Proficient or Advanced by the total number assessed, and then rounding. As a result, some historical data in the charts and tables in this report vary by one percent from past reports or the state profile.

Spring 2014 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results

The eight-year changes in student achievement shown above include:

In ELA: Grade 10 increased from 71 to 90 percent Proficient or higher.

In Mathematics: Grade 3 increased from 60 to 68 percent Proficient or higher. Grade 5 increased from 51 to 61 percent Proficient or higher. Grade 6 increased from 52 to 60 percent Proficient or higher. Grade 8 increased from 45 to 52 percent Proficient or higher. Grade 10 increased from 68 to 79 percent Proficient or higher.

In STE: Grade 8 increased from 33 to 42 percent Proficient or higher.

At the high school level, where high stakes have been attached to tests in ELA and Mathematics since 2001 (for the class of 2003), the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher has increased in ELA from 38 percent in 1998 to 90 percent in 2014, and in Mathematics from 24 percent in 1998 to 79 percent in 2014. Beginning with the class of 2010, students must also earn a score of Needs Improvement or higher on one of the four high school MCAS STE tests to be eligible to receive a high school diploma. In STE, the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher has increased from 57 percent in 2008 to 70 percent in 2014.


Among students in the class of 2016 participating in MCAS to earn a Competency Determination, 88 percent of students scored Needs Improvement or higher on the ELA, Mathematics, and STE high school tests, a two percentage point increase compared to students in 2010 in the class of 2012. On the individual subject area tests, in ELA, 95 percent of students scored Needs Improvement or higher, an increase of one percent compared to the class of 2012; in Mathematics, 91 percent of students scored Needs Improvement or higher, which was unchanged compared to the class of 2012; and in STE, 93 percent of students scored Needs Improvement or higher, an increase of three percent compared to the class of 2012.

Figure E-2 shows the improvement in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher in grade 10 ELA and Mathematics over the duration of the MCAS program. Figure E-2 also shows the improvement in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher on the high school STE test since 2008.

Table E-1 below shows ELA, Mathematics, and STE results at all grade levels for each test since its inception.


Table E-1: 1998–2014 Statewide MCAS Test ResultsPercentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher

Grade Year English Language Arts Mathematics Science and Technology/Engineering

Grade 3 2014 57 68 –2013 57 66 –2012 61 61 –2011 61 66 –2010 63 65 –2009 57 60 –2008 56 61 –2007 59 60 –2006 58 52 –2005 62 – –2004 63 – –2003 63 – –2002 67 – –2001 62 – –

Grade 4 2014 54 52 –2013 53 52 –2012 57 51 –

2011 53 47 –2010 54 48 –2009 53 48 –2008 49 49 –2007 56 48 –2006 50 40 –2005 50 40 –2004 56 42 –2003 56 40 –2002 54 39 –2001 51 34 –2000 – 40 –1999 – 36 –1998 – 34 –

Grade 5 2014 64 61 532013 66 61 512012 61 57 522011 67 59 502010 63 55 532009 63 54 492008 61 52 502007 63 51 512006 59 43 502005 – – 512004 – – 552003 – – 52

Grade 6 2014 68 60 –2013 67 61 –2012 66 60 –2011 68 58 –2010 69 59 –2009 66 57 –2008 67 56 –2007 67 52 –




Grade 6 2006 64 46 –2005 – 46 –2004 – 43 –2003 – 42 –2002 – 41 –2001 – 36 –

Grade 7 2014 72 50 –2013 72 52 –2012 71 51 –2011 73 51 –2010 72 53 –2009 70 49 –2008 69 47 –2007 69 46 –2006 65 40 –2005 66 – –2004 68 – –2003 66 – –2002 64 – –2001 55 – –

Grade 8 2014 79 52 422013 78 55 392012 81 52 432011 79 52 392010 78 51 402009 78 48 392008 75 49 392007 75 45 332006 74 40 322005 – 39 332004 – 39 332003 – 37 322002 – 34 –2001 – 34 –2000 – 34 –1999 – 28 –1998 – 31 –

Grade 10a 2014 90 79 702013 91 80 712012 88 78 692011 84 77 672010 78 75 652009 81 75 612008 75 72 572007 71 69 –2006 70 67 –2005 64 61 –2004 62 57 –2003 61 51 –2002 59 44 –2001 51 45 –




Grade 10a 2000 36 33 –1999 34 24 –1998 38 24 –

a Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.


I. 2014 MCAS at a Glance

What is MCAS?

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is the Commonwealth’s standards-based student assessment program.

MCAS has three primary purposes: (1) to inform and improve curriculum and instruction; (2) to evaluate student, school, and district performance according to the Massachusetts curriculum framework content standards and MCAS performance standards; and (3) to determine whether a student has met the state requirements for the Competency Determination (i.e., whether a student is eligible for a high school diploma).

Who participates in MCAS?

All students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated at public expense are required by state and federal law to participate in MCAS testing. Figure 1 and the table below show the number and percentage of students by race who took the 2014 MCAS tests in ELA, Mathematics, and STE in grades 3–8 and 10.

African American/Black8% American Indian or Alaskan

Native0.2%Asian

6%Multi-race, Non-Hispanic or

Latino3%

White66%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Is-lander0.1%

Hispanic or Latino16%

Figure 1: 2014 MCAS Participation by Race Grades 3−8 and 10


MCAS-Alt Participation

Students with significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the standard MCAS tests, even with accommodations, are required to participate in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt). The MCAS-Alt enables these students to submit portfolios of their work that demonstrate their performance on the curriculum framework learning standards. Figure 2 shows the number of students who took the MCAS-Alt.

Which MCAS tests were administered in 2014?

In 2014, a total of 17 operational MCAS tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering were administered to students across eight grade levels.

Table 1 below shows the MCAS tests administered at each grade level in 2014.

Table 1: 2014 MCAS Tests Administered by Grade Level

Content AreaGrade Level

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10English Language Arts Mathematics Science and Technology/Engineering a a

a Students may take one of four high school STE tests offered in Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, and Technology/Engineering in grade 9 or grade 10. Results of the grade 9 and 10 tests are summarized and reported in grade 10.

In February 2009, due to fiscal considerations, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved a two-year suspension of operational MCAS History and Social Science testing and waived the


Competency Determination requirement in this subject area. As a result, no History and Social Science tests were administered in grade 5, grade 7, or high school in spring 2014.

What are the administration guidelines for the tests?

MCAS test sessions are designed to be completed in 45–60 minutes. However, all MCAS test administrations are untimed, and schools must allocate the necessary resources, including staff and classrooms, to ensure that all students have sufficient time to complete each individual session.

Except in grade 3 (for which a combined test/answer booklet is used), students at each grade level receive separate test and answer booklets. The test booklets contain all item-specific information, including the actual test questions, any reading passages and corresponding illustrations, writing prompts, and answer options for multiple-choice items. Students must record their answer to each test item in the corresponding answer booklet.

The standard MCAS tests are composed of a variety of question types at each grade level and for each subject. Table 2 below shows the point values by item type for each grade and test.

Table 2: Total Raw Score Points by Item Type: 2014 MCAS Tests

Subject-Area TestRaw Score Point Values by Item Type Total Number

of Raw Score Points

Multiple-Choice

Open-Response

Short-Answer

Short-Response

Writing Prompt

Grade 3 English Language Arts 36 4 8 48 Mathematics 26 8 6 40Grade 4 English Language Arts 36 16 20 72 Mathematics 32 16 6 54Grade 5 English Language Arts 36 16 52 Mathematics 32 16 6 54 Science and Tech/Eng 38 16 54Grade 6 English Language Arts 36 16 52 Mathematics 32 16 6 54Grade 7 English Language Arts 36 16 20 72 Mathematics 31 16 6 53Grade 8 English Language Arts 36 16 52 Mathematics 32 16 6 54 Science and Tech/Eng 38 16 54Grade 10/High School English Language Arts 36 16 20 72 Mathematics 32 24 4 60 Science and Tech/Eng 40 20 60

Each MCAS test booklet contains both common and matrix-sampled questions. Common questions—which comprise roughly 80 percent of a student’s test booklet—are those items that are identical in each


student’s booklet and from which all student, school, and district results are derived. Prior to 2009, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released 100 percent of the MCAS common items to the public after each test administration for use as a tool to improve curriculum and instruction. Beginning in 2009, in order to reduce testing time and test development costs, the Department began releasing approximately 50 percent of the common items for grades 3–8 while continuing to release 100 percent of the common items at the high school level (with the exception of the Chemistry and Technology/ Engineering tests in 2009 and Chemistry in 2014, for which no common items were released). Matrix-sampled questions are used to equate MCAS tests from year to year and to field test new items for future tests.

When are MCAS tests administered?

Each spring there are three MCAS test administration periods. In 2014, the first testing period was March 18–31for tests in English Language Arts. The second testing period was May 5–20 for tests in Mathematics and May 6–20 for tests in grades 5 and 8 Science and Technology/Engineering. The third testing period was June 2–6 for the end-of-course high school STE tests.

How are results on MCAS tests reported?

Results on the MCAS tests are reported by achievement levels that describe a student’s knowledge and skills as they relate to the MCAS performance standards and the content standards contained in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks. Students receive a separate score and attain a separate achievement level in each subject area. School and district results are reported according to the percentage of students attaining each achievement level in each grade-level subject area tested.

Table 3 below provides the general MCAS achievement level definitions.

Table 3: General MCAS Achievement Level Definitions

Achievement Level DefinitionAdvanced 4 Students at this level demonstrate a comprehensive and in-depth

understanding of rigorous subject matter and provide sophisticated solutions to complex problems.

Proficient Students at this level demonstrate a solid understanding of challenging subject matter and solve a wide variety of problems.

Needs Improvement Students at this level demonstrate a partial understanding of subject matter and solve some simple problems.

Warning / Failing 5 Students at this level demonstrate a minimal understanding of subject matter and do not solve simple problems.

Student-level MCAS results are reported as scaled scores, which range from 200 to 280 in each content area. Scaled scores provide more precise feedback to schools, parents, and students by quantifying a student’s achievement according to the continuum of scores within achievement levels. At grade 3, 2010 was the first year in which student results were reported as scaled scores; prior to 2010, only raw score

4 Prior to 2011, the highest achievement level at grade 3 was Above Proficient. This was changed to Advanced in 2011 to provide consistency in reporting.5 The Warning level is applicable to grades 3–8, and the Failing level is applicable to grades 9 and 10.


points representing the total number of points a student earned were reported. Table 4 below provides the scaled score point ranges and their corresponding achievement levels.

Table 4: MCAS Scaled Score Ranges

Scaled Score Range Achievement Level260–280 Advanced240–258 Proficient

220–238 Needs Improvement200–218 Warning / Failing

How does the Department collect and report race/ethnicity data?

Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 69, Section 1I, the Department is authorized to collect race/ethnicity data but cannot make such information public. The Department reports these data only in the aggregate. Prior to the 2005–2006 school year, the Department collected data on students according to the following five race/ethnicity categories:

African American/Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander Hispanic White

Each student was identified by one and only one race/ethnicity category.

Beginning in 2006, the Department revised its data collection procedures to comply with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revisions to the standards for classification of federal data on race and ethnicity announced in the Federal Register Notice of October 30, 1997. The revised standards require that agencies offer individuals the opportunity to select one or more races when reporting information on race in federal data collections. In addition, race and Hispanic or Latino origin are considered two separate and distinct concepts.

In accordance with these changes, the Department now reports aggregate MCAS results according to the following seven race/ethnicity categories:

African American/Black Asian Hispanic or Latino American Indian or Alaskan Native White Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Multi-race, Non-Hispanic or Latino

MCAS results reported according to the former five race/ethnicity categories and the current seven race/ethnicity categories are not directly comparable. To better inform comparisons made between MCAS results by race/ethnicity across years, the Department published the 2005–2006 MCAS Race/Ethnicity Comparison Report, available at profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/racecomparison.aspx?


http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/racecomparison.aspx?linkid=29&orgcode=00000000&fycode=2006&orgtypecode=0&

linkid=29&orgcode=00000000&fycode=2006&orgtypecode=0&. This report provides a crosswalk between the current and former race/ethnicity categories, giving both total numbers of students tested and percentages of students at each achievement level. This information is also available at the school and district levels on the Department’s website through the school and district profiles.

Where can I find more information about MCAS?

The Department’s website is a resource for educators, parents, and others who are seeking additional information about MCAS results, released items, curriculum frameworks, and other test-related topics. To access that information, visit www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/. If you have additional questions, you may contact the Department’s Student Assessment Services Unit at 781-338-3625.


http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/racecomparison.aspx?linkid=29&orgcode=00000000&fycode=2006&orgtypecode=0&

II. Summary of the 2014 Statewide MCAS Results

In spring 2014, 541,643 Massachusetts public school students in grades 3–10 participated in the seventeenth administration of the MCAS tests. A total of 17 MCAS tests in ELA, Mathematics, and STE were administered to students across eight grade levels. State-level results for these tests are provided in this report.

Achievement Level Results by Subject

English Language Arts

Table 5 summarizes the percentage changes in ELA achievement by students statewide between 2007 and 2014. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

Student achievement in ELA6 improved statewide between 2007 and 2014 at grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, and decreased at grades 3 and 4. Achievement in ELA improved markedly at grade 10, as the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher increased by 19 percentage points.

The percentage of students statewide scoring Proficient or higher in 2014 ranged from a low of 54 percent at grade 4 to a high of 90 percent at grade 10.

Table 5: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS English Language Arts Results

GradePercentage of Students Scoring

Proficient or HigherPercentage Point

Change, 2007 to 20142007 2013 2014

Grade 3 59 57 57 -2Grade 4 56 53 54 -2Grade 5 63 66 64 +1Grade 6 67 67 68 +1Grade 7 69 72 72 +3Grade 8 75 78 79 +4Grade 10 71 91 90 +19

Mathematics

Table 6 summarizes the percentage changes in Mathematics achievement by students statewide between 2007 and 2014. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

Student achievement in Mathematics improved at all grade levels between 2007 and 2014. Achievement in Mathematics improved by 10 percentage points at grades 5 and 10; eight percentage points at grades 3 and 6; seven percentage points at grade 8; and four percentage points at grades 4 and 7.

The percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher in 2014 ranged from a low of 50 percent at grade 7 to a high of 79 percent at grade 10.

6 The ELA tests at grades 3, 5, 6, and 8 assess reading comprehension, while the ELA tests at grades 4, 7, and 10 assess reading comprehension and writing.


Table 6: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS Mathematics Results



Change, 2007 to 20142007 2013 2014

Grade 3 60 66 68 +8Grade 4 48 52 52 +4Grade 5 51 61 61 +10Grade 6 52 61 60 +8Grade 7 46 52 50 +4Grade 8 45 55 52 +7Grade 10 69 80 79 +10

Science and Technology/Engineering

Table 7 summarizes the percentage changes in STE achievement by students statewide between 2007 and 2014. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

Student achievement in STE improved statewide at grades 5 and 8 between 2007 and 2014. Achievement in STE improved by nine percentage points at grade 8, and by two percentage points at grade 5. Since the high school STE test was first administered in 2008, achievement data is not available for 2007.

The percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher in 2014 ranged from a low of 42 percent at grade 8 to a high of 70 percent at grade 10.

Table 7: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering Results



Change, 2007 to 20142007 2013 2014

Grade 5 51 51 53 +2Grade 8 33 39 42 +9Grade 10 n/a 71 70


Between-Group Gap in the Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher: African American/Black and Hispanic or Latino Students

English Language Arts

Tables 8 and 9 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the ELA proficiency gap between African American/Black students and white students, and between Hispanic or Latino students and white students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

In ELA, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for African American/Black students and for Hispanic or Latino students narrowed at all grades between 2007 and 2014. The greatest narrowing of the gap was seen at grade 10, where it decreased by 15 percentage points for African American/Black students and by 16 percentage points for Hispanic or Latino students.

Table 8: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS English Language Arts ResultsChange in Between-Group Gap in Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher

Grade African American/Black White Eight-Year Between-Group GapPercentage of Students Scoring

Proficient or Higher 2007 2014Between-Group

Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 3 36 33 38 66 65 65 30 27 -3Grade 4 31 32 34 63 61 61 32 27 -5Grade 5 39 46 43 70 72 71 31 28 -3Grade 6 42 45 49 75 75 75 33 26 -7Grade 7 48 53 56 76 79 78 28 22 -6Grade 8 55 61 63 82 84 85 27 22 -5Grade 10 47 83 79 77 95 94 30 15 -15a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.


Grade Hispanic or Latino White Eight-Year Between-Group GapPercentage of Students Scoring


Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a



Mathematics

Tables 10 and 11 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the Mathematics proficiency gap between African American/Black students and white students, and between Hispanic or Latino students and white students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

Between 2007 and 2014 in Mathematics, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for African American/Black students narrowed at all grades except grade 5, where it increased marginally. The gap for Hispanic or Latino students narrowed at all grades. The greatest change in the gap occurred at grade 3, where it narrowed by seven percentage points for African American/Black students and by nine percentage points for Hispanic or Latino students.

Table 10: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS Mathematics ResultsChange in Between-Group Gap in Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher



Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 3 35 45 49 67 73 74 32 25 -7Grade 4 22 28 30 54 58 58 32 28 -4Grade 5 26 37 36 57 67 68 31 32 +1Grade 6 27 39 37 60 67 66 33 29 -4Grade 7 19 28 26 52 59 57 33 31 -2Grade 8 19 33 30 52 61 58 33 28 -5Grade 10 45 60 60 75 86 85 30 25 -5a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.




Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a


Science and Technology/Engineering

Tables 12 and 13 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the STE proficiency gap between African American/Black students and white students, and between Hispanic or Latino students and white students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.


From 2007 to 2014 in STE, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for African American/Black students narrowed by three percentage points at grade 5 and increased marginally at grade 8. For Hispanic or Latino students, the between-group gap narrowed by four percentage points at grade 5 and remained unchanged at grade 8. Since the high school STE test was first administered in 2008, achievement data is not available for 2007.

Table 12: 2007–2014 Statewide MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering ResultsChange in Between-Group Gap in Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher



Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 5 20 24 26 59 59 62 39 36 -3Grade 8 9 17 17 39 46 49 30 32 +2Grade 10b n/a 47 47 n/a 78 79a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.b Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.




Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 5 20 25 27 59 59 62 39 35 -4Grade 8 8 16 18 39 46 49 31 31 0Grade 10b n/a 41 42 n/a 78 79a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.b Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.

Between-Group Gap in the Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher: Students with Disabilities

Tables 14–16 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the ELA, Mathematics, and STE proficiency gaps between students with disabilities and all students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

From 2007 to 2014 in ELA, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for students with disabilities narrowed markedly at grade 10, where it decreased by 13 percentage points, and increased by four percentage points at grade 3. In all other grades, the between-group gap increased marginally or remained unchanged. In Mathematics, the between-group gap increased by five percentage points at grade 5; increased by four percentage points at grades 6 and 7; and increased


marginally or remained unchanged at grades 3, 4, 8, and 10. In STE, the between-group gap increased marginally at grade 5 and increased by five percentage points at grade 8. Since the high school STE test was first administered in 2008, achievement data is not available for 2007.


Grade Students with Disabilities All Students Eight-Year Between-Group GapPercentage of Students Scoring


Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 3 27 19 21 59 57 57 32 36 +4Grade 4 19 14 16 56 53 54 37 38 +1Grade 5 25 24 24 63 66 64 38 40 +2Grade 6 27 25 25 67 67 68 40 43 +3Grade 7 28 29 30 69 72 72 41 42 +1Grade 8 36 38 40 75 78 79 39 39 0Grade 10 30 66 63 70 91 90 40 27 -13a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.




Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 3 28 30 34 60 67 68 32 34 +2Grade 4 17 18 19 48 52 52 31 33 +2Grade 5 17 22 22 51 61 61 34 39 +5Grade 6 16 20 19 53 61 60 37 41 +4Grade 7 12 14 12 46 52 50 34 38 +4Grade 8 9 15 13 45 55 52 36 39 +3Grade 10 31 40 41 69 80 79 38 38 0a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.




Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 5 22 19 21 51 51 53 29 32 +3Grade 8 8 11 12 33 39 42 25 30 +5Grade 10b n/a 33 33 n/a 71 71a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.b Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.


Between-Group Gap in the Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher: English Language Learner (ELL) Students

Tables 17–19 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the ELA, Mathematics, and STE proficiency gaps between ELL students and all students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

From 2007 to 2014 in ELA, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for ELL students narrowed at all grades. The greatest narrowing of the between-group gap was seen at grades 3, 7, and 8, where it decreased by five or six percentage points. At grades 4, 5, 6, and 10, the between-group gap decreased by four percentage points.

In Mathematics, the between-group gap for ELL students narrowed by eight percentage points at grade 3, and narrowed marginally at grade 4. The gap widened by five percentage points at grade 5 and by six percentage points at grade 10. In STE, the gap for ELL students was unchanged at grade 5, and increased by eight percentage points at grade 8. Since the high school STE test was first administered in 2008, achievement data is not available for 2007.


Grade ELL Students All Students Eight-Year Between-Group GapPercentage of Students Scoring


Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a





Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 3 30 39 46 60 67 68 30 22 -8Grade 4 18 22 25 48 52 52 30 27 -3Grade 5 19 27 24 51 61 61 32 37 5Grade 6 15 24 21 53 61 60 38 39 1Grade 7 10 12 13 46 52 50 36 37 1Grade 8 10 16 14 45 55 52 35 38 3


Grade 10 27 27 31 69 80 79 42 48 6a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.




Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 5 10 11 12 51 51 53 41 41 0Grade 8 3 3 4 33 39 42 30 38 8Grade 10b n/a 16 13 n/a 71 71a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.b Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.

Between-Group Gap in the Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher: Low-Income Students

Tables 20–22 summarize changes that occurred between 2007 and 2014 in the ELA, Mathematics, and STE proficiency gaps between low-income students and all students. Data for 2013 are included to illustrate the one-year trend.

From 2007 to 2014 in ELA, the between-group gap in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher for low-income students narrowed at all grades. The between-group gap decreased by 13 percentage points at grade 10 and by five percentage points at grades 4–8. The gap in Mathematics for low-income students narrowed at all grades. In STE, the gap for low-income students also narrowed at all tested grades.


Grade Low-Income Students All Students Eight-Year Between-Group GapPercentage of Students Scoring


Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a






Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a





Gap Change,2007 2013 2014 2007 2013 2014 2007–2014a

Grade 5 25 30 31 51 51 53 26 22 -4Grade 8 11 19 21 33 39 42 22 21 -1Grade 10b n/a 50 49 n/a 71 71a Negative value represents narrowing of between-group gap; positive value represents widening of gap.b Grade 10 STE results are reported based on students’ best performance on any STE test taken in grade 9 or grade 10; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.

MCAS results for all grades, student groups, and prior MCAS test administrations are available on the Department's School and District Profiles pages at profiles.doe.mass.edu.

Competency Determination Attainment Results

The class of 2003 was the first graduating class in Massachusetts that was required to earn a Competency Determination (in addition to meeting local requirements) to be eligible to graduate from high school. In order to earn a Competency Determination (CD), students in the classes of 2003–2009 were required to earn a scaled score of 220 (Needs Improvement) or higher on the grade 10 MCAS tests or retests in ELA and Mathematics.

Beginning with the class of 2010, in order to earn a CD, students must either earn a scaled score of 240 (Proficient) or higher on the grade 10 MCAS ELA and Mathematics tests or retests or earn a score of 220–238 on the grade 10 MCAS ELA and Mathematics tests or retests and fulfill the requirements of an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP).


http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/


Each EPP must include, at a minimum,

a review of the student’s strengths and weaknesses, based on MCAS and other assessment results, coursework, grades, and teacher input;

the courses the student will be required to take and successfully complete in grades 11 and 12; and

a description of the assessments the school will administer on a regular basis to determine if the student is moving toward proficiency. (For 2013–2014, the assessment options included locally developed end-of-course assessments, locally scored grade 10 MCAS test forms designed for the EPP, the March 2014 MCAS retest in ELA only, and College Board’s Accuplacer.)

Students in the class of 2010 and beyond also must earn a score of 220 (Needs Improvement) or higher on one of four high school MCAS tests in Science and Technology/Engineering (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering) to be eligible to receive a high school diploma. In addition, students must meet all local requirements in order to graduate.

Table 23 displays the cumulative percentage of all students and student subgroups in the class of 2016 who have already met or partially met the MCAS requirements for graduation by performing at the Needs Improvement level or higher in ELA, Mathematics, and STE through the spring 2014 test administration. In 2014, 88 percent of students in the class of 2016 performed at the Needs Improvement level or higher in all three subjects by the end of grade 10. This represents the same percentage of students compared to the class of 2015, and a two-point increase over the class of 2014.7

7 The achievement figures for students in the class of 2016 may be lower than the corresponding figures for grade 10 students cited elsewhere in this report because the figures for students in the class of 2016 include students participating in a retest administration (primarily students retained in grade) while those for grade 10 students include first-time spring MCAS administration testers only.


Table 23: 2014 Statewide MCAS Results: Class of 2016Percentage of Students Scoring Needs Improvement or Higher in ELA, Mathematics, and STE

through the Spring 2014 AdministrationClass of 2016 Class of

2015aClass of

2014a

Subgroup ELA MathELA and

MathSTE

All Three Tests

All Three Tests

All Three Tests

All Students 95 91 90 93 88 88 86Gender Female 96 93 92 94 90 89 88 Male 94 90 89 92 87 87 85Race/Ethnicity African American/Black 92 84 82 86 78 76 73 Asian 96 95 94 95 92 91 90 Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 95 95 95 93 93 84 79 Hispanic or Latino 88 79 77 82 73 71 67 Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic or

Latino 96 92 91 94 89 88 87 Amer. Ind. or Alaska Nat. 98 89 88 91 85 87 77 White 97 95 94 96 93 92 92Student Status High Needs 91 83 81 86 77 76 73 Non-Disabled 98 96 95 96 93 93 92 Students with Disabilities 84 71 69 77 64 61 60 English Language Learner (ELL) 69 59 51 60 44 41 43 Former ELL 96 88 88 90 84 82 80 ELL and Former ELL 78 68 62 70 56 53 51 Low Income 92 84 82 86 78 77 75a To provide comparable data, results for the classes of 2015 and 2014 are based on MCAS tests through the spring 2013 and spring 2012 administrations, respectively.

The percentage of students scoring Needs Improvement or higher in ELA, Mathematics, and STE varied widely by subgroup.

Of the major racial/ethnic subgroups in the state, the percentage of students scoring Needs Improvement or higher in all three subjects was highest for white students at 93 percent, followed by Asian students at 92 percent, African American/Black students at 78 percent, and Hispanic or Latino students at 73 percent—all representing increases over the class of 2015. When results for the class of 2016 are compared to those for the class of 2015, African American/Black students and Hispanic or Latino students showed the highest percentage increase, at two percent. The other major racial/ethnic subgroups increased by one percent.

Seventy-eight percent of low-income students performed at the Needs Improvement level or higher in all three subjects, followed by 77 percent of high-needs students, 64 percent of students with disabilities, and 44 percent of ELL students. All of these subgroups demonstrated an increase over the class of 2015 in the percentage scoring Needs Improvement or higher in all three subjects, with the highest increase among students with disabilities.


Table 24 shows the number and cumulative percentage of students in the class of 2016 who have already fully met the CD standard by performing at the Proficient level or higher in both ELA and Mathematics and by performing at the Needs Improvement level or higher in STE, through the spring 2014 test administration. Seventy-five percent of students in the class of 2016 have earned a CD by performing at the Proficient level or higher in both ELA and Mathematics and by performing at the Needs Improvement level or higher in STE. For the individual components of the CD requirement, 87 percent of students performed at the Proficient level or higher in ELA, 77 percent of students performed at the Proficient level or higher in Mathematics, and 93 percent of students performed at the Needs Improvement level or higher in STE.

Table 24: 2014 Statewide MCAS Results: Class of 2016Number and Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Higher in ELA and Mathematics and

Needs Improvement or Higher in STE through the Spring 2014 AdministrationCD Requirement Number PercentEarned CD 53,729 75ELA and Mathematics Proficient or Higher 53,996 75ELA Proficient or Higher 63,017 87Mathematics Proficient or Higher 55,403 77STE Needs Improvement or Higher 66,981 93

III. 2014 Statewide MCAS Participation Results

Students Tested

Table 25 presents information on the number and percentage of enrolled students who participated in the spring 2014 MCAS tests. The figures include participation rates for all enrolled students educated with public funds, including regular education students, students with disabilities, and ELL students. As in previous years, participation rates were very high, ranging from 98 to 100 percent.

Table 25: Participation Ratesa

Number and Percentage of Enrolled Students Tested on the Spring 2014 MCAS Tests

GradeEnglish Language Arts Mathematics Science and

Technology/Engineeringb

Number Percent Number Percent Number PercentGrade 3 68,900 100 68,801 100Grade 4 69,615 100 70,119 100Grade 5 70,380 100 70,378 100 71,514 100Grade 6 70,173 100 70,439 100Grade 7 71,258 99 71,613 99Grade 8 71,659 99 71,933 99 72,600 99Grade 10 71,116 98 71,295 98 71,860 99a Includes regular education students, students with disabilities, and ELL students. b Grade 10 STE figures include students in the class of 2015 who participated in an STE test in grade 9 in 2013 or grade 10 in 2014; only students continuously enrolled in Massachusetts public schools from fall of grade 9 through spring of grade 10 are included.


How is participation calculated?

Participation rates indicate the number of students who participated in standard MCAS tests and the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) divided by the number of students enrolled on the date the tests were administered. ELL students enrolled in U.S. schools for the first time were not required to take ELA tests; however, they were reported in ELA school and district participation rates based on their participation in the ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) tests. The Department used ACCESS for ELLs testing for state and federal accountability purposes, which require that all ELL students, with the exception of students for whom an accommodation was not available, participate in the ELL assessment.

Students absent during testing, including those with medical excuses, were counted against school and district participation as non-participants. A student is neither a participant nor a non-participant (i.e., is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator in participation rate calculations) if all of the following statements are true: (1) the student transferred during the testing window (between the first day of ELA testing and the last day of testing for Mathematics or STE), (2) the student missed at least one entire session of the test in question, and (3) the student was not medically excused or absent for the test in question.

How are absent students treated in MCAS performance results?

The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act requires that absent students be counted as non-participants for school and district accountability calculations. Schools are placed in a lower accountability level if their participation rates fall below 95% or 90% in the aggregate or for a subgroup.


Documents

Spring 2014 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results · Web viewSpring 2014 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results September 2014Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education